Destiny's Travel
by amiesuzie
Summary: AU What was it like to be different? Brianna Sheppard knew. She'd been different all her life. And now she'd met Michael Kenmore. He was different but how? Can their relationship survive the coming challenges?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I do not own Stargate or anything in Stargate. The only thing I might be able to take any credit for is Brianna and the idea behind this story.

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Chapter 1

Brianna Sheppard startled awake at the sound of her obnoxious alarm. She groaned and rolled over to turn it of. Second later, Bitsy, Brianna's white and gray cat, hopped onto the bed and crawled onto her owner.

"Mornin', Bitser Boo," Brianna said sleepily to the little cat. The cat responded with loud purrs and she kneaded her owner's chest gently. The two snuggled and Brianna began to drift off again until the snooze alarm went off again.

"Better get up. I doubt Carson would believe me if I told him that you, my pathetic cat, made me late for work." She grinned at Bitsy and sat up. As she sat up, the cat meowed angrily as she was dumped on the floor. Bitsy glared at Brianna before getting up and moving to her cat bed beneath her cat tree. She then proceeded to lick her fur as though she had been slimed by a dog.

"You're such a little princess." Brianna scowled at her cat and walked off to the bathroom. She quickly showered and dressed for another day in the Atlantis infirmary. She grabbed her golden locket, the only piece of jewelry she wore on any given day, which she had received from her parents when she graduated from medical school. Brianna pulled her hair into a hasty braid as she filled Bitsy's food and water.

"Be good, Bitsy. Love ya!" Brianna called to the still cranky ct as she grabbed Tom Clancy's _Patriot Games_ from her nightstand and headed to the mess hall for breakfast.

When she reached the mess hall, she joined the throng of people proceeding to the breakfast buffet. When Brianna finally arrived at the buffet table she grabbed a small glass of orange juice and a bowl of Vanilla Mini Wheats; so rotten but so good.

She stood for a brief time scouting out the tables. _No one I know is here. Guess I'd better go stake a claim to one of those free tables._ She made her way to the nearest free table and settled into read her book over breakfast.

A few minutes after she had settled in a voice asked, "May I join you?" Brianna looked up from her book and her eyes met a handsome man with brown hair and dark chocolate brown eyes. The man was followed by two Lantean security officers. Brianna did not think she had ever seen this nice looking man around Atlantis before. She had not been on Atlantis for al that long, and Atlantis was a large city so it was very likely that she not me the man before.

"Of course. Have we met before, uh?" Brianna asked as he sat down in the chair to her right.

"Lieutenant Michael Kenmore. And considering that you don't know who I am and I have amnesia, I would say probably not," he told her.

"What happened?" Brianna asked, concerned.

"I was captured by the Wraith and whatever they did caused me to come become seriously amnesiac. The Wraith are so kind that way," Michael rolled his eyes and bit into his bacon. He added, "You have the pleasure of knowing my name but I don't know your's." He grinned mischievously as though life was some big joke and he was the only one who understood it.

"Oh sorry. I'm Dr. Brianna Sheppard. It's lovely to meet you, Lieutenant Kenmore," She shyly returned his smile. _Why am I so shy around cute guys?_

"Michael, please."

"Okay. Then please call me Bree. It's much less formal."

"I much prefer Brianna. It is very pretty name, and I like it a lot," he told her in return.

"Oh, alright," she sighed like she had lost a huge battled and Michael laughed. _He is such a happy person. Always laughing._

"You related to Colonel Sheppard by chance?" he asked curiously. Sheppard had mentioned his sister being a doctor, but Michael did not think that this sister lived on Atlantis.

"Yup. He's my loving and _extremely_ obnoxious older brother." Brianna sighed and rolled her eyes fondly.

"Really? You two aren't a thing alike," he commented. _That is the understatement of the century. He is jumpy and nervous around me while she is very friendly. And cute,_ he added to himself with a sly grin.

"Oh," Brianna laughed, interrupting her companion's thoughts, and continued, "That's because my older sister, Alana, and I were adopted by the Sheppard's when we were little. I was about 3 when everything was finalized and we moved in with them. So, the reason for the difference between John and I is that I'm not biological related to him. Which probably isn't a bad thing," she winked. "Anywho, what about you? Where is your family, and what are they up to?"

"I don't remember anything about my past because of the amnesia. I can't even remember my own parents. It drives me crazy," he replied frustrated at his own inability to remember. Brianna reached out and touched his hand sympathetically. _He's happy, but he is so sad, too._

"You can start remembering things now. Tomorrow you'll remember today," she smiled. Michael added in his thoughts _And you._

"I kinda know how it feels not to remember your parents. I remember my adopted parents very clearly but I only have the very vaguest images and feelings about my biological parents. Very blurry. Alana remembers them pretty well and she tells me about them and our life before we were abandoned."

"But its not the same," they said in unison. They smiled at each other and Michael began.

"Everybody keeps telling me about my life and my family, but it doesn't help. They tell me I'm from Texas and I have a photograph of my parents but I don't remember any of it. In fact, I end up feeling more depressed because everybody raves about how wonderful my life and family are and I can't remember an ounce of it," Michael told Brianna quietly.

"Thank you for sharing with me. I really appreciate it. Whenever I've dealt with amnesiac patients, it helps when they talk about their feelings which allows them to let go of some of the angst and depression they are feeling. This encourages healing and it does a lot of good in the long rung." She smiled, and then her expression changed dramatically. Her face contorted into this horrified look and she clapped her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry. I slipped into my "physician" persona. My friends constantly badger me about that. I do it all the time. I'm really sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he chuckled. "That actually helped a lot. I haven't been able to open much about I feel. I thought it would only hurt me to do that, and your reassurance makes me feel a lot better. I just feel like I can talk to you; like we have something in common."

He could see her visibly relax, "I'm glad. I do that all the time, and it drives everybody – especially John – crazy." Brianna then asked Michael how long he had bee on Atlantis.

"According to Teyla, not long. How about you?"

"I arrived shortly after the attack on Atlantis by the Wraith a few months ago." _Wow breakfast went quick. It's nice to have someone to talk to,_ Brianna though as she noticed that her breakfast was gone. "I'd better get to work," she told Michael as she stood. She picked up her tray and book and added, "It was nice meeting you, Michael. I hope we can get together again."

Michael stood as well and picked up his tray. "Well, we could do lunch."

"I can't. I have the lunch shift in the infirmary. Sorry."

"How 'bout dinner then?"

She grinned and said, "Then I'll see you at dinner."

"Alrighty then. I'll meet you here around, say, 6:00?" Michael smiled at her as she nodded in affirmation.

Brianna smiled back and delivered her tray to the conveyor belt that transported the trays and their contents to the dishwashers. Michael followed her to the mess hall doorway and waving farewell as they went their separate ways. The young doctor "bounced" down the Lantean corridors.

"Mornin', Half-Pint." Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard matched his sister's pace as they walked down the hall.

"What do you want, Johnny?" she asked, calling her brother by his childhood nickname.

He glanced over at Brianna and gave her a death-glare." You agreed to never call me that," he told her sternly, like only a brother could.

"Yah, well, you shouldn't call me half-pint then," she responded tartly. She tried to keep a tight, unemotional face but a tiny sliver of a smile slipped out.

"Ha! I win. I kept the face up longer," he roared triumphantly. "I win, I win!" They had done this since they were in elementary school. They would tease and harass one another until the other could not keep a straight face. The one who managed to maintain the straight face won.

Brianna rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at John.

"You should be more respectful, Dr. Sheppard. I head the military operation on this here base, little missy." He took on a stupid commanding voice. He then sobered up and asked, "Headin' for work?"

"Yup what about you?" she asked.

"Same. Heading to Elizabeth's office. Got some things to chat about with her. by the way, what's up with the whole bouncy, bubbly mood?" They walked up the last flight of stairs before they reached the floor the infirmary was on.

"I had breakfast with the nicest man. He was sweet, handsome, and…" Brianna trailed off.

"Oh," was all he said out loud but he was ranting on the inside. _Oh no!_ John hated the sound of that. _Guess I'd better look into it after I talk to Elizabeth. I already lost Alana to that _Daniel_, and I'm not losing Bree to any guy in the near future._ John had always been extremely protective of his sisters. Especially in the area regarding the male gender.

The siblings soon arrived at the infirmary with Brianna going on and on about her breakfast while John rant and raved in his thoughts about this guy who would soon disappear.

"This is my stop. I'll see ya later, John." He only nodded a response. He was too busy absorbed in his thoughts of how he was going to eliminate this new threat.

Brianna didn't notice until she turned around. "By the way…_John_?" she said his name sternly.

"What?" he asked ever-so innocently knowing his sister would catch on if he was not careful.

"I know what you're thinking. Don't you dare." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Now what did you say?" He grinned, keeping up the innocent act.

"I was gonna tell you to not get your head blown off or fed upon cause I don't wanna have to write to the family about that. But maybe I should just warn my friend about you." She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him.

"No, you don't. I'm not planning anything against your friend. I'm sure he is perfectly fine and acceptable person for you to hang out with. And I won't get blown up or eaten. Promise." He grinned again, squeezed her shoulder, and started off down the hallway, leaving his sister watching his retreating back. _If she only knew what I was planning for her mystery guy._ He grinned evilly to himself as he walked down the hall.

Brianna sighed and made her way into the infirmary and towards her "office". Her "office" was comprised of her desk and her laptop. She set her book down next to her laptop and sat down. Then she started her laptop up. Normally, she took the laptop back to her quarters each night, but last night, she had forgotten it and had been too lazy to go back to the infirmary to retrieve it.

She glanced up at the small bulletin board on the wall next to her desk and noticed that her schedule for the day was not there. Normally, the nurses would pin it up there but sometimes they got lazy and set on her desk. She searched the rest of her desk for it but found nothing. _Guess I'll have to go get off my lazy butt and get it myself. _

She got up and walked all the way across the infirmary to the nurse's station. The nurse's station was important to keeping order in the infirmary as patients coming for a scheduled appointment would check in here and the doctors' daily schedules were made by the men and women stationed at this post. Brianna waved a good morning to Dr. Carson Becket, the head Lantean physician. He waved back with a wink and then directed his attention back to the conversation he was having with a patient.

"Good morning, Bree," Nurse Roxy Calvin greeted her friend and asked, "What can I do for you on this apparently nice morning?"

"I just need my schedule for the day. I didn't see it on my bulletin board or on my desk."

"So, what's up with the happy-go-lucky mood this morning? I know you're a morning person, but I don't recall you ever being quite this happy in the mornings," Roxy asked as she worked.

"Oh, I just had breakfast with a new Lieutenant this morning and it was very nice."

"Wow! Now this is breaking news! Better mark it on the calendar," she teased.

"It's not like that. He was captured by the Wraith, and he was looking for someone friendly to sit with," Brianna told both her friend and her hyperactive heart.

"Now that is doubtful. Probably wanted to meet the cute doctor." Roxy winked at Brianna.

"Whatever." Brianna rolled her eyes and continued, "He has amnesia and doesn't remember anything from before his capture so my story makes sense. I'm sure he was just looking for a friendly face, and I know I'm just _so_ friendly." Brianna laughed.

Roxy grabbed the printed schedule off the printer and handed it to Brianna, "Here you go, and I still maintain my story as the accurate, correct one." The nurse stuck her tongue out at Brianna, and grinned. "See ya!"

"Thanks, and have a nice day!" Brianna called back to Roxy as Brianna began going over the schedule as she walked.

Mechanically, she walked to her desk and sat down. It appeared that her day would not be real full. _Not a bad thing. An easier day is not bad after the very busy day I had yesterday. _She grinned at her luck. She then accessed the electronic records of her few patients for the day.

When she finished going over her patients' records, she had about a half hour to kill before her first appointment so she began a letter to her dad. She glanced over at the family picture, taken about a year before the Atlantis Expedition first ventured to the Pegasus galaxy, sitting to the left of her laptop. It was the last family picture with Brianna's mom. She had passed away unexpectedly about two months later from complications with pneumonia. Brianna's parents were in the middle of the picture with John and Dave, her brothers, and Daniel Jackson, Alana's husband, standing directly behind Patrick Sheppard and his wife. Alana knelt next to her mother and in front of her husband, while Brianna knelt next to their father and in front of John. Brianna smiled lovingly at the rush of love and affection at the sight and memory.

"Brianna," called a Scottish accent, obviously in a hurry at his tone, that pulled her out of her pleasant memories.

"Oh, hi, Carson." The doctor stood next to her desk and Brianna turned to face Carson.

"I have a really busy schedule today, and I have an emergency coming in. Would you mind taking some of my appointments?"

"Absolutely." She nodded and the two briefly went over the various people Brianna was taking on for the day.

"Thank you, Lass." Carson squeezed her shoulders fondly and headed off in a hurry to deal with the emergency.

_Guess I'd better get to work. Dad's letter will have to wait until later._ She then got to work reading more about her new patients and their medical records. It was going to be a long day.

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By the time Brianna finished work, she was wiped. She went back to her quarters to chill for a bit before dinner with Michael. She ended up playing with Bitsy.

Cats are not supposed to fetch but Bitsy did. It was not like how a dog fetch but she nevertheless fetched her toys. She would attack the toy and would not fetch the toy until Brianna was looking away. Then when Brianna returned her attention to playing with the cat, the toy would be back for another toss.

Today, they were playing with some of Brianna's old stretchy hair ties, Bitsy's favorite fetch toys. While she played with the cat, Brianna worked on her letter to her dad on her laptop.

"I probably ought to change now, Bitsy." She looked down at the little clock on her computer as she shut the letter down and gasped. It was 5:50. She was supposed to meet Michael in ten minutes and she was not ready at all. She tried to get out of the chair so quickly that she tipped it over and she went cratering to the floor with it.

"Man, why do I always get so clumsy when I'm in a hurry?" she groaned to herself. Bitsy came over to Brianna and rubbed against her owner's leg. "I'm glad you can stand my clumsy, blondness." She patted the cat on the head and got up, setting the chair up as she stood.

Brianna hurried to the bathroom and changed into civilian clothing. She quickly brushed her hair out and pulled it into a clip rather than the typical braid. _I wonder if anyone will notice?_ For a moment, she stood in decision about doing anymore to her appearance. She chose not to add make up but she did choose to put on some fun spiral earrings.

"Perfect. It's just dinner with a friend, and there's nothing wrong with looking nice," she told her self but her heart and thoughts questioned her words. _But you never act or feel like this when it is just a friend? And what's up with the butterflies?_ She ignored her thoughts and pushed them to the back of her mind. She checked the mirror once more before heading out the door.

She quickly made her way through the confusing Lantean corridors towards the mess hall. Her hurried pace was due to the fact that she did not want to be late for her scheduled dinner.

"Hello, Dr. Sheppard!"

"Hi, Radek."

"How are you?" the nice Czech asked.

"I'm doing pretty good. What 'bout you?" she asked politely even though she wanted very much to blow right by and get to the mess hall. On a normal day, she would love to chit chat with Radek but today was not quite normal. She also had a knack for being late normally so she did not want to be held up more by Radek and give Michael the impression that she was not going to come to dinner.

"Very well, thank you. You know…" Radek began until Brianna interrupted.

"Excuse me, Radek. I have to meet someone for dinner," she told him simply.

"Oh," a grin spread across his face. "A date, by chance?"

"No. Just dinner with a new friend. It was nice seeing you, Radek," she smiled at her friend.

"Okay. See you," he winked at her as the two walked into the mess hall. He wandered off and met up with Rodney, who, as usual, was not pleased to see the Czech.

Brianna stood in the mess hall entrance looking for Michael. _It isn't that obvious that I'm looking forward to this dinner, is it?_ she asked herself, thinking about Radek's response to her behavior.

She walked swiftly into the jam packed mess hall. Brianna was not very tall, about 5 foot 4, so she stood on her tip toes, trying to see above the other Lantean personnel. She continued to search but Michael found her first. He strode up to her with two trays, one for him and one for her, and he was followed closely by the two guards, who seemed like they were joined with Michael at the hip.

"Hey there!" he greeted as he handed Brianna her tray.

"Hi. Oh, thanks!" Brianna grinned, and the pair joined the buffet line.

"How was your day?"

"It was good. Very busy, though. Carson had to deal with an emergency so I took on some of his appointments in addition to my own. Way too much fun." Brianna grinned and added, "Other than being busy, it was pretty uneventful."

"I'm not sure your uneventful day can match my day. I had a session with Dr. Heightmeyer. That can be described as boring with a capital 'B'." He grinned at his companion when she laughed at his comment. He sobered and added, "It did help, though. To talk about my feelings and thoughts, I mean. It does encourage healing. I feel so much better as though a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I asked Heightmeyer about what you said this morning and she absolutely agreed." He winked at her remembering their conversation about how talking about stuff helps to ease emotionally pain.

"Well, of course, she agreed with me. Doctors, no matter what their profession, must stick together. We have to stick together if we are going to be able to handle soldiers and jocks like you," she shot back with a grin. "I got us off topic. What were you saying?" The two had both got their dinners and ventured to an empty table with their trays.

"I was just gonna tell you about my sparring session with Teyla. But since you insist on being such a smart alec…." He grinned while she feigned shock. "Anyways," he continued, "I discovered that I'm a pretty good fighter. I also found out that Ronon has a particular dislike for me. While Teyla and I were sparring, he came flying in and took me down. Teyla explained that we have some history, and I suspect that it is pretty hard to get back on his good side." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Yup. Your suspicion is correct. I've tried hard to get back on his good side, but I've never made any progress. He is slightly more tolerant of me now than when I first came to Atlantis."

Michael wrinkled his face in confusion. "What could he have against a cute, and might I add harmless, doctor like you? I can understand his dislike for me," he continued in a macho voice, "as I am a strong, bold soldier. Thus, I pose a threat in the mind of our dear friend, Ronon," Michael finished sarcastically.

Brianna laughed and said, "You shouldn't mock me. I was serious." She took a bite of her burrito.

Michael immediately sobered and replied, "So was I. I can't understand why he _wouldn't_ like you. Your sweet, bubbly and as innocent as anyone I've ever known." As he spoke, Brianna's neck and cheeks flushed a pink color that seriously clashed with her curly red hair. Michael grinned when he noticed.

She responded once she was sure she was past the flushing. "Oh, it isn't hard to understand. You see, I'm not actually a real human; I'm a Harcesis."

"What's that?" he asked, very curious.

"It is the child of two Goa'uld…" she noticed his blank stare and decided to start over from the beginning to help him understand. "Maybe I should start from the top. Do you remember the Goa'uld at all?" He shook his head no so she began with an explanation. "The Goa'uld are a parasitic species, and they primarily use humans as their hosts. The Tau'ri, as they refer to us, screwed everything up when we first went through the Stargate to Abydos. And it just got worse from there as we kicked some serious Goa'uld butt. Anywho, when two Goa'ulds reproduce while in their hosts, the child that is created is a Harcesis. This child would be a human with a little Goa'uld DNA intermixed with a whole lot of human DNA. Because of this fact, I have the entire Goa'uld genetic memory encoded into my DNA and all of the knowledge of my parents."

"So, you're saying that Ronon doesn't like you because of just a little alien DNA in your DNA? Ya know that..." Brianna held her hand up to stop his tirade.

She continued on quietly with a sad distant look. "But that isn't all. In my case, my mother was a Goa'uld queen so when they reproduced, she also created a young Goa'uld, as well. In addition to the genetic memory passed on from my parents, I also have a symbiote coiled around my spinal column. This allows me to have all the powers of Goa'uld just as if I were one of them," she continued quietly but quickly added, "but I'm not really one of them. The difference is that the symbiote and the host have grown together from birth and are in the truest sense, one being. The host cannot survive without the symbiote nor can the symbiote survive without the host. Physically, they are two separate beings, but in all other ways, we are one." She looked away from Michael and played with her food. Whenever she had told anyone about this, she had almost always faced rejection and fear from the other individual. She was also concerned with how little she knew about this man. She hardly knew him, and here she was telling him her deepest and most feared secret.

"Hmph! Well, Ronon is still wrong." His face clearly showed his irritation and - was that - pure fury. Then for a short second, his face showed confusion. _Where did that come from? I hardly know her, _he asked himself. He shrugged it off and got back to the conversation. "Obviously, you are not a Goa'uld or you would most likely have done your evil little deeds long ago." He grinned devilishly at his joke as she cracked a tiny smile at her food.

More seriously, he leaned towards her, and took her chin in his hand and lifted her face so he could look at her. "Just because you're not quite human doesn't make you bad or dangerous. Don't ever forget that you are valued and that many people care for you and depend you."

"Thank you," she said quietly but gently. "But I have to disagree with the dangerous part. I can be extremely dangerous because the genetic memory, if I tapped into it, could easily cause me to go insane. And I have the same powers and abilities that the Goa'uld do so I am just as dangerous as they are. Ronon is simply protecting his friends from someone he deems a threat to them."

"So? Doesn't matter. He can beat the snot out of me if he wants, but he so much as looks at you wrong and he's toast," Michael growled. Brianna's face reflected shock at the man's strong protectiveness of her and a certain amount of flattery. She was, however, a little concerned about Michael trying to take down Ronon as few could take down Ronon and come out in one piece. "Anyways, I'm not surprised by what you said. It makes it easier for me to understand why we hit it off so easy this morning."

"Whaddya mean?" she asked.

"It's just that I had the same gut feeling that you were different as I do about myself. Dr. Weir told me that the Wraith did something to me before I was rescued. Whatever they did, makes me feel different, but I can't put my finger on it."

As Michael spoke, his face became contorted and unreadable so Brianna reached out for his hand compassionately.

_He's hard to read. Very good at controlling his emotions and facial expressions. Wonder what caused him to become like that?_ She knew emotions and expressions took years of experience to control, and to her, it seemed a little strange that one so young could control them so well.

When Michael noticed Brianna's compassionate gesture, he broke his expression and smiled, a caring and friendly smile, which Brianna readily returned.

The two jabbered for the next couple of hours about anything and everything before Michael walked Brianna back to her quarters.

"So. How 'bout breakfast in the morning?" Michael asked as they reached her door.

"That would be nice." Brianna turned towards her door.

Before she opened it, she twirled around and said, "Thanks for dinner. I enjoyed it a lot." She stood on her tiptoes and gave Michael a light peck on the cheek.

"Good night," she added so quietly that Michael was not even sure she had said it. Her face was bright red again and she grinned shyly as she opened the door.

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Author's Note: Thanks so much for checking out my story, and I would really appreciate any and all reviews! I hope you the updates to this chapter and the the detail and (attempted) character development that I tried to add. :) Oh, and big thanks to puppypower01! Your reviews and our chats helped a lot and inspired me to attempt to make my chapters better. So, I hope you all enjoyed that. I'm gonna begin working on updating the second chapter and then begin work on the third chapter! Huggles!

Amie


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I do not own Stargate or anything in Stargate. The only thing I might be able to take any credit for is Brianna and the idea behind this story.

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Chapter 2

The next morning, Brianna quickly dressed and got ready for breakfast with Michael. She was excited, but somewhat nervous. There was something about him that made her uneasy which she contributed to the potential for a close relationship. Close relationships had always made her nervous because most people she worked with were frightened of what she was. In many of their minds, she was a Go'auld; not a human. So, she was naturally afraid of getting close to anyone because she typically got hurt in the end.

They met in the mess hall as planned. The two quickly proceeded through the buffet line and went to their table to enjoy their breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast.

"I spoke with Teyla this morning after we did our sparring. I had this dream last night that I was walking through a hive ship but I had this feeling that I was a Wraith. When I woke up, I went over to the sink to get some water, and when I looked in the mirror, I was a Wraith, howling. Then I woke up for real. The Wraith must've done something to me while I was in captivity. I have never been so terrified in my life. To a certain extent, I'm glad I can't remember what they did to me cause I'm thinking it was pretty traumatic. But then again, if I could remember, Dr. Beckett would be able to fix whatever they did to me." He ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. "Teyla said lots of people have had those kinds of dreams here on Atlantis. Have you?"

"I haven't had any dreams that involved the Wraith that I can remember. But then again I typically don't remember or think about things that frighten me. When I was a little girl an Ancient named Oma Desala came to my sister and I to help us to deal with the Goa'uld genetic memories in our DNA. Anyways, she taught us to deny and ignore the terrible things that randomly popped into our minds. If you don't, you'll go insane. So, I guess I've just learned to ignore things that frighten me like the Wraith and the way they feed."

"A defensive mechanism. Very interesting," Michael commented as he took a bite of his butter and jam toast.

"What's with the guards? I keep thinking about it but I forget to ask you," Brianna told him.

"Oh. They're around to keep any eye on me in case I go crazy cause of something the Wraith did to me. Just a precautionary action to protect me and everybody else," he grinned and winked.

"That makes sense. Very good of you to be okay with it, though. I wouldn't be able to stand having someone following me everywhere."

"But it does drive me crazy. I feel like I can't be my own person; I can't do things on my own. I feel like I've been a naughty little boy and Mommy and Daddy has to keep a close eye on me." He sighed and added, a little positive, "At least Dr. Weir is willing to commit these resources to my own well being."

"I suppose so. But don't feel bad about feeling like your being punished. When I first joined the SGC, everyone wished they had guards following me everywhere. They only saw me as a Goa'uld even though I proved over and over that I was on there side" She grimaced at the memory.

"A snake?" He lifted an eyebrow as Brianna laughed.

"General O'Neill calls the Goa'uld snakes cause they slightly and only slightly resemble the serpents of Earth. Guess Jack's silly little comments wore off on me a bit." She grinned again and continued on about Jack and his comments.

This girl is quite a character, Michael thought as he listened to her talk. While she spoke, she waved her hands around animatedly as to show him what she was talking about. "What are you gonna be doing today?" he asked her when she finished.

"Actually, I have the day off. What about you?"

"Nothing that I know of. I have to meet with Dr. Heightmeyer after breakfast. Other than that, I'm completely free to do as I like." Michael glanced at the two guards. "Okay, maybe not completely free but as free as I'm gonna get for awhile." He winked and added, "Maybe we should do something together?"

"That would be fun. I could show you some recreational activities from Earth. It might just jog your memory and help to fix your amnesia."

"Sounds like more fun than I've had since I got back." He grinned. "Where do you want to meet after my meeting with Dr. Heightmeyer?

"Well you could meet me at my quarters."

"Sounds good." He grabbed Brianna's tray and his and delivered them to the conveyor belt. The two waved at each other as they went their separate ways.

When Brianna returned to her quarters, she found Bitsy lounging on her seven foot cat tree designed for multiple cats. Brianna really wanted a dog but Atlantis was obviously not a good home for a dog. Instead, Brianna got a cat and spoiled her rotten. So, she bought her an extravagant cat tree to enjoy and play on.

When Bitsy saw Brianna, she grabbed one of the hair ties that she stole from Brianna. "How many times am I gonna have to put these away, Cat? You are a piece o' work." She shook her head and grabbed the hair tie. She did not mind if the hair tie was an old, beat up one, but she wanted to keep her nice ones away from Bitsy.

Brianna then grabbed an old hair tie from the cat tree and flung it across the room for Bitsy. The cat promptly ran after the hair tie and waited at the other side of the room for more hair ties. The two played for a few minutes until Brianna ran out of hair ties to throw.

"You have to bring 'em back if you wanna keep playing, Silly," she told the cat. The cat was almost as good as a dog; not quite, cause she would not fetch the hair ties.

Brianna ditched the cat and her adventures to read her book. She went to her bed and grabbedMoby Dick off the headboard. She enjoyed the classic, and Brianna was often teased in school for her love of classical literature such as Sophocles and T.S. Eliot. She grabbed her crocheted quilt made by her mother and curled up in the easy chair in the corner that overlooked Atlantis' cityscape and the ocean beyond. Bitsy soon joined her, and she peacefully read her book. Brianna continually relaxed and eventually fell asleep while reading.

Michael walked swiftly down the hall towards Brianna's quarters. He knocked on the door but received no immediate response. He knocked a twice more, and as he was about to knock again, the door opened to a groggy Brianna who's long red hair was looking like it had been through a world war.

"Oh. Hi," she said sleepily. "You wanna come in for a sec." Michael nodded and proceeded. The guards took their spots at opposites side of the door.

"Fell asleep?" he asked as he looked around at her cozy quarters. Her quarters are smaller than mine. Wonder why?

"Yup. I was reading my book and got really relaxed and fell asleep." She was just beginning to wake up from her nap. "Let me just go fix my hair, and then we can rock and roll."

"Okay." Michael walked around her small quarters. Brianna's quarters consisted of a large room and her bathroom. The large room was broken up into two parts: her bedroom and a small sitting room. The bedroom was simply her waterbed with a quilt-like comforter and a night stand on each side of the bed. Next to the bathroom door was Bitsy's cat tree. The sitting room was larger and more elaborate. It had a small coffee table in the center, an end table on each side of the easy chair Brianna had fallen asleep in, a floor lamp behind the chair, and one other chair in the corner next to the door. To separate the bedroom and sitting, a small, comfortable desk sat with a Bose CD player connected to a surround system throughout her quarters. "Why are your quarters so small?" he asked as he sat down in the other easy chair.

"I could have gotten much larger quarters but I wanted a whirlpool bath tub so I had to sacrifice quarter size for the bath tub. I love to take baths when I get really tense and need to relax," she replied from the bathroom. Bitsy all of a sudden hopped onto the end table next to Michael and sniffed him.

"Hi there. What's your name?"

"Her name is Bitsy." Brianna called from the other room.

"You don't strike me as cat person. More like a dog person," he commented as Bitsy settled on the arm of the chair next to Michael.

"Well, I have a dog but she wouldn't have done well on Atlantis. Lizzie is also getting pretty old, and she wouldn't have liked the change so I left her with my parents who adore her. So, since I couldn't bring my girl, I brought my cat who I've had since I was about 18." He could her smiling from the way she talked about her pets. "Do you have any pets?"

"I know I don't have any on Atlantis, but I'm not really sure if I do back on Earth. Hopefully, my memory will come back soon."

"I think it will. From what I have heard Carson say about your amnesia, it sounds like your memories should eventually come back. But I wouldn't count on anything I say since I'm not your doctor and I haven't read up on your files." She came out of the bathroom pulling her hair into a pony. "Ready to go?"

"Sure. Where do ya wanna go first?"

"We could run down to the rec area."

"Okay." Michael gave Bitsy one final pet and followed Brianna out of her quarters.

The two jabbered as they headed to the recreational area on the other side of the city. It had not originally been on Atlantis as the Ancients did not need a recreational room. When the Expedition came to Atlantis, a recreational area was set up as a sort of morale booster for the members of the Expedition.

When they arrived, they argued over what they wanted to do first: play ping pong or pool. After much deliberation (and good-hearted arguing) they settled on a diplomatic solution: foosball.

The two spent several hours playing first foosball and then ping pong and pool. They lost all track of time until Michael's stomach began rumbling loud enough for Brianna to hear it across the pool table. She giggled at his stomach as he shrugged and laughed right along with her.

"If you were hungry, you should have told me. We can leave any time."

"Nah. I honestly didn't even notice it until just now. Maybe we should head down now. I don't think my stomach will allow me to ignore it any longer." He smiled and the two headed down to the mess hall for some chow.

They had some delicious turkey pastrami sandwiches. Michael preferred his with just mayonnaise while Brianna preferred it with mayonnaise, mustard, dill relish, barbeque sauce, and lettuce. They also got some cheese and sour cream chips and a chocolate chip cookie.

After lunch, they played some basketball in the basketball court, and just hung out doing a variety of activities. At the end of the afternoon they stood on one of the balconies, and enjoyed the view of Atlantis and the Lantean ocean.

"Do you plan to stay on Atlantis for awhile, Brianna?" Michael asked, turning his head towards her.

"Please call me Bree. It is less formal." She grinned.

"I much prefer Brianna. It is a very pretty name," he told her in return.

"Oh, alright," she grinned and answered his first question, "I want to stay on Atlantis. It feels like home. To a certain extent, I feel like I can start anew in a different galaxy because the people in the Pegasus Galaxy have never faced the Goa'uld or the threat and terror those monsters created in the Milky Way. I feel more accepted with the residents of the Pegasus Galaxy than I even do with the people here on Atlantis. Ideally, I would like to stay here." She smiled, and asked, "What about you? Do you wanna stay here?"

"Yeah. I mean this is home. At least, it sure feels like it. I can't explain it. When I think of Earth and the Milky Way, I think of some distant, foreign place. When I think of the Pegasus Galaxy, I think of home. It's strange. Maybe it has somethin' to do with my amnesia and not being able to remember my family and home."

Brianna nodded in agreement. "You're probably right. Hopefully, it won't last forever." He nodded in agreement. "Isn't it pretty out there?"

"Very. It's hard to believe that there can be such evil in the galaxy and such beauty."

Most guys wouldn't admit to such girly thoughts! He seems to be a sentimental mush pot. Oh, wait all tough guys are sentimental. Its what makes them tough. Brianna grinned to herself at that thought. Her father had told her that when she was a little girl, and he, her other brother, David, and John had proven this statement. They were both very tough and very sentimental about things.

"So, what's your family like? I remember you mentioned you had a sister and that you were both adopted," Michael asked Brianna.

"Yeah. When Alana and I were adopted, the Sheppard's had two boys: John, you know him, and a boy older than John named Dave. They were pretty rich, so we grew up very well off. We had a nice house, and we grew up with pretty much everything we wanted. It was a lot of fun, and I absolutely adore my family." She smiled thinking about her parents and brother living back on Earth. "Dave went into the family business with Daddy while John went into the Air Force. Daddy was pretty disappointed and annoyed with him while Mom was just proud of John for trying to make something of himself."

"Do you miss your "real" parents?"

"Not really. Considering that they were selfish, evil Goa'uld, I'm not too disappointed. Sometimes, though, I wonder what they were like, and if they really loved Alana and I. I mean, it's possible," she smiled. "I do remember them a little. My mother had the prettiest red hair. My father, on the other hand, was a strong warrior. I always felt so safe when they were around. I knew that I never had to worry. It has always fascinated me that two Goa'uld would have two daughters. Ya'know if it had been a fluke they would have one child but they had two. I wonder if maybe they fell in love," she commented. She grinned at the thought. She loved to imagine what her real parents were like, but she was afraid that one day she would find out what they were really like and ruin her own imaginings.

She stood there for several minutes looking at the ocean and remembering memories of her life before the Sheppards.

"Whatcha thinkin'?" Michael asked her leaning over to see her face better. She had a faraway look.

"Just remembering my life before my family. I remember one time being in Ireland, at least I think it was Ireland. I don't really know for sure cause I was so little. But I remember looking out at the ocean from a cliff and watching it rock and sway and thinking about beautiful it was. Then I would look down at the side of the cliff and see the waves crashing into the cliff. It frightened me so much, but I remember my father held me close and whispered that I would always be safe as long as he was there. I remember hugging him tightly around the neck but I can never remember his face when I look up into it." She then sunk into her private thoughts forgetting all about Michael and only thinking about her birth parents. Michael stood there and watched her contently.

After several minutes of peace, Brianna pulled out of her thoughts and jumped back from the railing causing Michael to follow her lead, "I'm sorry. I began daydreaming. That always happens when I talk about my "real" parents." She had turned a deep red that rivaled her bright fire red hair.

"It's alright. I don't mind just watching you." He smiled at her sweetly, and she blushed an even deeper red.

"Maybe we should go on in. I'm getting kinda tired," she commented trying to end the awkward silence that came up between them. She had never really been the object of a man's attention especially a man like Michael.

Michael nodded and the two headed in to the mess hall for some dinner.

The two got some supper, and as he had the night before, Michael escorted Brianna back to her quarters.

"Wanna meet for breakfast again tomorrow?" Michael asked as they walked up to her quarters. They stopped in front of the door and reached down and took both of her hands in his own.

"That would be great. Good night, Michael," she replied shyly. He leaned over and gently kissed her.

"Good night, Brianna." He smiled back at her shyly and wandered off down the hall.

Brianna walked into her quarters smiling at her budding romance. He was so sweet and kind and perfect. She sat down at her desk and began composing a letter to Alana about Michael. Alana always badgered Brianna about her romantic life especially after Alana settled down with Daniel. So, Brianna knew that Lan would be super excited to hear about Michael and Brianna needed to share it with someone.

When she went to bed, she went to bed smiling at her wonderful life and luck.

Over the next several days, Michael and Brianna met for breakfast every morning and often met for lunch and dinner as well. Things were going wonderfully for them, but it was too perfect to stay that way. In fact, it would soon become worse than either ever imagined.

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Author's Note: If you've gotten this far, thank you so much for reading this story and sticking with me. I love writing this story, but I kinda got stuck there for awhile. I hope ya'll enjoyed it. Please review my story, and let me know watcha think of it. I'd also appreciate feedback on grammar/spelling/factual stuff. Thankies! Amie


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I still don't own Stargate or anything in Stargate. The only thing I might be able to take any credit for is Brianna and the idea behind this story. Maybe... ; )

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Chapter 3

One morning, several days later, Brianna stood in the mess hall waiting for Michael to join her for breakfast. She waited for a half hour before getting her own breakfast and taking it to a table to eat so she could be ready to head to work even if he did show up.

She quickly finished eating, took a look at the time on her Baby-G watch, and decided to go grab some food and take it to him. It was possible he was simply sick, which could have been associated with the amnesia and injuries he suffered during his time on his ill-fated mission. So, she quickly put together a breakfast she thought he might like based on what he had eaten the last few mornings. She grabbed the tray and headed off to Michael's quarters hoping to find out what had afflicted her friend and prevented him from joining her for breakfast.

She strode down the corridors like a woman on a mission. Several people said hello to her, and she, of course, said hello in return but only as a reaction rather than out of friendliness. She was determined, and in a sense, needed, to check on Michael and nothing was going to keep her from doing that.

When she approached his quarters, she quickly noted that Michael's guards were there but they both looked extremely nervous and tense.

"Good morning, gentleman. I brought Lt. Kenmore some breakfast since he wasn't able to make our breakfast, uh, meeting." She smiled sweetly at both of them trying to alleviate their tension. She didn't like it when people were uncomfortable especially since most of the time she was the cause of their lack of comfort.

"I'm afraid we can't do that, Dr. Sheppard," came Lt. Cole's short reply.

Brianna's smile disappeared instantly. "Excuse me? Why not?" she replied tartly and rather rudely – her natural reaction when her mission was disrupted

"It's a matter you'll have to take up with Dr. Weir or Col. Sheppard, ma'am. I'm sorry."

"I'll be sure to do that. In the meantime, why don't you give this to Michael for me, deal?" she replied tersely. She literally shoved it into the other guard's hands and stalked off to radio her brother. She tapped the earpiece on her ear to open a radio channel to her brother.

"John, your guards that are posted are not allowing me to see Lt. Kenmore this morning," she stated into the earpiece. "We were supposed to meet for breakfast but he didn't show up so I brought him some breakfast. Can you please tell your guys to back off and let me see him, please?"

"Bree, why don't you join me in Dr. Weir's office?" came his curt reply into the earpiece. She really wanted to argue, but his tone meant business so she knew that it was pointless to even try to argue. Instead, she replied her okay and headed off to the main tower.

She strode briskly to the elevator. Her mannerisms and body language easily communicated her distress and annoyance.

"Hello, Brianna," Carson called to her, from his spot in the elevator, pulling her from her irritated thoughts. "Where are you headed?"

"Main tower," she replied shortly.

"So am I," he replied. Seeing the confusion and worry on her face, he asked "Something botherin' you, Lassie?"

"Yeah. I was going to have breakfast with Lt. Kenmore, and he never showed up. Then when I took a breakfast tray to his quarters, his 'dear' guard dogs wouldn't let me in," she complained.

"Ohhhh," was all that Carson said, not sure how to handle her strange behavior and his knowledge of what she wanted to know. He had only known her for a few months, but he figured he knew her pretty well as she tended to be a pretty open person. But this was completely new – he'd never seen Brianna Sheppard irritated like this and he wasn't sure how to handle it. He also knew she was extremely smart and would figure out that he knew what she wanted to know.

"What, Carson? What do you know?" Brianna asked all of a sudden extremely curious, thinking that as a senior member of Lantean personnel, Carson would probably know something just as Carson figured she might.

"I think it should wait until we get to Dr. Weir's office," he said flatly leaving the elevator in awkward silence. Brianna leaned back against the elevator wall and sighed. She ran her hand through her loose hair and leaned her head back against the wall.

When the two arrived in Dr. Weir's office, John immediately pulled a chair up for his sister. "You might wanna sit down, kiddo."

Brianna sat down across from Elizabeth. Carson sat in the chair next to Brianna while John stood in the door way, leaning on the frame.

"Dr. Sheppard, I'm sorry we were not able to tell you sooner," Elizabeth began. "We wanted to keep this situation as quiet as possible to prevent alarm or concern within the city so we told as few a number of people as possible without compromising our task. You know about the retrovirus that Dr. Beckett was working on, correct?"

Brianna nodded her head in response. She remembered full well what had happened with the young Wraith girl they had found on that planet several months ago. But from the reports she had read, the adventure did not bode well for Carson's research or his progress on the virus.

Elizabeth continued, "Carson finished his research and was able to create a functional serum. So, I gave the order for a Wraith to be captured so we could test the retrovirus on them to see if it worked. It did. Quite well, in fact. According to Carson, the only issues we are facing now is that the retrovirus has not been able to eliminate his insatiable hunger. It also is not a permanent change so they can revert back to their original state if they do not receive the serum on a regular basis."

Brianna quickly put two and two together and asked, "So, we have a Wraith here on Atlantis who looks human?" Elizabeth nodded. "But what does this have to do with Lt. Kenmo…" Out of the corner of her eye, she could see John grimacing but desperately trying to hide it. Realization hit her like a freight train. She gasped sharply, terrified by what she had just discovered. "How could you do that to him? He…he…"

"Bree, calm down, okay? It's okay. It's okay, sweetie," John walked over to her chair, pulled it away from the desk, and knelt down. He put his arms around her and pulled her to him to comfort her.

"No, John, it's not." Brianna pushed her brother away and stood up, glaring accusingly at the other people in the room. "Who do any of you think you are? You can't simply go change someone like that. That's like – that's like taking my symbiote from me. You can't just run around changing people like that because they frighten you or threaten you. You just can't…" She collapsed into the chair, entirely overwhelmed, and dropped her face into her hands, sobbing quietly. John knelt once again and gently put his arms around his sister who did not resist this time. Elizabeth and Carson quietly left the room to leave the siblings in privacy.

After several minutes, Brianna's tears dried up and she now only hiccupped. "John, can I see him?"

"Bree, I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Please, John," she begged. "I need to see him. To me, he isn't a monster like you all see him. He's my friend, and I care about him."

Looking at her, John had a hard time saying no. _She's so desperate. She needs to see him. That's the only way she'll understand_, he told himself. _But he'll only hurt her_, another part of him argued back. _And you'll only hurt her if you don't let her do this. She cares a lot for him._ He looked into her face and saw the tired, overwhelmed look in her eyes. She needed to see Michael.

So, against his better judgment and his hardened soldier mentality, he replied, "Alright. But you have to promise me, you'll be super careful. He may not be able to feed, but he could easily kill you and he's super mad, 'kay?"

"Okay," she replied softly and hiccupped again.

"'Kay. C'mon. I'll take ya down there." John pulled her to her feet, and she leaned on him as they headed back down to Michael's quarters.

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"Alright, if you need anything, you holler, and Ronon and I will be there before you can say Iratus Bug, got it?" John told her holding her shoulders in his hands as he held her out from him and looked at her squarely. He loved his sister dearly and she meant the world to him, but she also had him wrapped around her pinky. In their walk down, she had further managed to talk him into allowing her to go into see Michael alone without guards by arguing that her symbiote would protect her. That and she could react quicklym if necessary. Reluctantly, he agreed, and immediately called Ronon and a team of Marines up to hang out just in case. John was sure that Michael was going to totally go ballistic.

"I know, I know. I can handle it, okay? Stop fretting. I'm a big girl," she lowered her eyes and gave him one of her "mother knows best" looks.

"Alright, alright," he squeezed her shoulder before letting her go. He motioned for Cole to open the door for Brianna and she headed in.

She slowly walked inside. The lights were all as dim as they could be without being off. It kind of gave Brianna the creeps. She continued forward and ventured into the small bedroom off the main sitting room.

"Hello, Michael," she said quietly to the dark form sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You're a good liar, ya know that? I guess it must be that sleezy little parasite you carry around that helps ya with that," he replied darkly.

Brianna flinched slightly at his hurtful comment but continued towards him. She could feel the anger and rage permeating from his still form. "I didn't lie to you," she replied quietly and gently as she set a hand on his shoulder tentatively.

As soon as her hand touched his shoulder, he jumped up and spun around in one quick fluid motion. He clasped her hand in his, squeezing it tightly, causing her hand to throb in pain. "Oh of course not. You humans are all alike. Think you're better than us – cause we're such monsters," he snarled. "To you, we're just a bunch of animals that you can manipulate and do with as you please. You lied to me, made me feel important, and made me think you were my friend." His voice grew more and more angry by the second.

At his reaction, Brianna wanted to curl into a ball and cry. He was her friend and she cared greatly for him, probably more than friends should, and she couldn't stand seeing him so angry and distressed. "You're dead wrong," she shot back as firmly as possible, but her voice shook with emotion even so. "I would not do that to you, and if you really knew me, you would know that. I genuinely care for you or I wouldn't be here right now." She attempted to pull her hand out of his, but he kept a firm grasp. She glanced down at her hand and then back up to his cold face. "Let go." Her voice was firm now and resolute.

He responded by tightening his grasp. She pulled again, and he responded as he had before. She grew angrier and her eyes flashed, but not like an angry young women's. Rather, they flashed like one possessed by another, like a Goa'uld's eyes. The flashing white eyes caused Michael to immediately let go and step back a step.

"Thank you," she stated quietly, firmly, and full of venom – this venom stemmed from the symbiote's natural tendency towards the darker emotions of the human species. "I am a person who is extremely loyal to her friends no matter who or what they are. If you like, you may search my mind to confirm that I'm not lying to you. But I want you to know that I always care for my friends no matter what happens." She turned around to walk away and said so softly that Michael questioned his own sanity, "Especially you."

"Wait." Brianna turned back towards him at his voice. Michael immediately sought out her mind with his own. She naturally recoiled slightly due to the unnaturalness of it all, but she immediately relaxed as he soothed her mind so she would open up to him, which she did so willingly. Brianna felt him feel her emotions and feelings. He softened momentarily as he felt her extreme sadness, and as soon as it came, he became extremely angry again. His anger was stronger this time and overwhelmed her. She felt as though she were choking on it as it overpowered her psyche. As soon as he sensed this, he left her mind.

When she came back to reality, she opened her eyes. She had moved back in front of him and was standing only inches away from him. He had taken her hands into his own and held them to his chest as though he was trying to protect her. When his eyes opened, his icy eyes met hers and held them intensely but softly. He had noticeably relaxed in her eyes because he knew that he could trust her.

"Brianna, Brianna," he breathed quietly. "Why? Why do you feel that way?"

"Because I understand being the outsider. Because I understand not fitting in with others. Because I understand what it feels like to be feared because of what you are. I just understand." Her voice grew softer as she spoke.

"But why do you care at all? You should think of me as a monster – everyone on this base does." His voice had lost its edge, and in fact, sounded more like the man Brianna had grown to care for.

"Because I know your character and who you are at the base of your soul rather than knowing you with preconceived notions of what you should be based on stereotypes of your race. I saw you for someone just like me who has gone through stuff. And just because now I know that you are a Wraith, my feelings won't change. Stuff will change, but my feelings for you will not because I know your heart," she told him. Compassion filled her voice. She knew that things would change. He would revert back to his natural instincts and he would have to deal with the ramifications of what the Lanteans had done, but she also knew that deep down, he would still be the man she knew. The core of his being – his heart and soul - would never change no matter what because that is who he was before the Lanteans had changed him.

They stood in silence for several moments with Michael holding Brianna's hands to his chest securely before pulling her close and holding her. "Thank you, Brianna Sheppard," he breathed into her hair. He once again tapped into her mind and communicated his feelings to her. This time he showed her his feelings for her. Michael wanted her to understand that he did care about her but he didn't know what to do with these feelings. Wraith never felt this way he let her know. She smiled into his chest and the two stayed that way for what seemed like hours – for once she felt safe and protected – a first in her life.

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AN: Okay - I think this was so lame but I had it done and figured I might as well post. Would love some feedback on what to do next. I'm not sure where to go from here - wish I had a beta to give me some tips on the story line and the development of the characters. Should I add a few filler chapters to develop their relationship more first? I'm new to this and I definitely need some work. : ) Would love reviews from y'all - honest and true reviews. And thank you for my dear reviewers encouragement. It means the world to me to have you all understand what's been going on with me. :D Hugs!


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I still don't own Stargate or anything in Stargate. The only thing I might be able to take any credit for is Brianna and the idea behind this story. Maybe... ; )

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After another ten minutes of just being together, Brianna headed off to go to work, promising Michael she would come back as soon as she could. When she joined the men outside Michael's quarters, Brianna could see the visible relief on their faces when she knocked on the door to be let out. John let out a sigh of relief at seeing his sister in one piece.

"Good to see you're in one piece," John told her begrudgingly, making sure she knew his displeasure with her opinion regarding Michael. He glared at the door, toward the being inside.

Brianna glared at her brother before proceeding down the hall back to the infirmary. Maybe work would take her mind off of everything. Her brother, on the other hand, had other ideas.

"Bree, we need to talk," he called after her, jogging to catch up with Brianna's quick pace.

"No, we don't. You've made your position clear. You've chosen to side with an action that is morally and ethically wrong," she stated curtly.

"You just don't get it, Sis. We're at war. Do you not get that?" 

Brianna stopped angrily. She spun around on her heel towards her brother, getting in his face. "So? Just because we are fighting the Wraith does not make it right to experiment on them. I mean do you think it was right that the Goa'uld did what they did to humanity. What Nirrti did with Cassandra and her people? What Apophis did with Shifu? They certainly thought it was just fine and dandy. They were at war." Her sarcastic response only made her brother angrier.

John pulled Brianna away from the curious stares and looks they received in the busy hallway. "This has nothing to do with them. They are not nearly the threat the Wraith are to humanity."

"That isn't my point! You are such a piece of work when you get angry. Irrational and stupid." She threw her hands up in frustration and stalked back into the hallway and toward the elevator. John smacked himself in the forehead in frustration with his sister. He followed swiftly after her and snuck into the elevator just before the door closed.

Brianna glared sharply at John and crossed her arms, ignoring him. He stopped the elevator and walked in front of her to make her pay attention to him.

"Bree, this has nothing to do with the Goa'uld or what they've done. We're doing this to protect not only Earth but also the entire Milky Way galaxy. This isn't just about Earth."

"But John, don't you get it. If we think we can change who a person is at a genetic level, we're just like the Goa'uld. I mean c'mon. That's exactly what they do when they take a human host. They take over the host and completely change them. They may not change them like the retrovirus does, but it is the same basic principle." Brianna ran her hand through her hair with her continued frustration. She just could not figure out how to get John to see her point of view. Although, she kinda figured he might not get there because he was military and she was a civilian. She was also a doctor and that meant she had a strict code of ethics while John did not. This recognition helped Brianna to chill out and let it be. "Ya know what – let's just drop this. I am not going to agree with, and you aren't going to agree with me. So, let's just agree to disagree. I don't wanna fight you on this."

John nodded in agreement. His thoughts were along the same vein as Brianna's, granted they were the opposite of her's. The siblings stood together for a moment before embracing solidifying their sudo-truce.

When they separated, John punched the button so they would continue to their level. Just before they arrived at the infirmary level, Brianna turned toward her brother. "John, I do have one request, though."

"Alright. Shoot."

"Well, since I know about all of this, can you guys keep my up to date on what's going on with Michael?"

"Sure. And you can go see him if you want, I guess. Cause I know you're going there, too," John told her.

"Thanks. I appreciate that." She smiled at John with appreciation. "And thank you for trusting me. I know it's hard with me being your sister and all and your tendency to take on the protective older brother role. But thanks - it means a lot," Brianna told him genuinely, squeezing his arm with gratitude.

"You're welcome. And I know you're probably gonna be in better shape to handle all this crap what with Sparky and everything, but it's still hard." He grinned at her as she stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway.

Brianna laughed at her brother's reference to her symbiote. He was such a dweeb sometimes, and his nickname for her symbiote was simply moronic. It's not even very original – but it was certainly a John type of thing. The elevator door closed, and Brianna headed off down the hallway to work.

When she arrived, Carson immediately called Brianna into his office. She had expected something along these lines, and had he not called her in, she would have gone to talk to him.

"Hey, Carson," Brianna called to the head physician as she knocked on the door.

"Hello, Brianna. Please come in." Carson motioned for her to sit in a chair across from his desk. "I talked to Dr. Weir, and since you already know about, uh, Michael, we figured you could help out. Only if you are willing, though." Carson could see the hesitation in her eyes and immediately reassured her. He did not agree with Elizabeth and John on this course of action, but at the same time, he also understood the other side of the argument.

As she watched her boss, she knew what she had to do. She did not agree with the actions taken by those in charge of the expedition, but she did understand that she had an obligation to Atlantis and the expedition. On that basis, she made her choice and nodded her agreement to do as Carson asked.

Carson smiled kindly at Brianna. He knew this was very difficult for her because of her history with humanity's arch-enemy. She half-smiled in return before listening to Carson give her instruction on her duties with Michael. He requested that she take on his injections. Carson explained that either they would have to bring Michael to the infirmary to receive his injections or she could take it to Michael. Carson's main concern was the safety of the humans involved. Brianna nodded her comprehension at this but also at the fact that she was much safer with Michael because of her own naturally defenses.

So, in a few hours, she would gather up the supplies she needed and go visit Michael with his injection. Until then, she would act like everything was just hunky dory. Now how to go about that…

* * *

A few hours later, Brianna walked down to Michael's room to give him his injection. Since she the clearance, the guards let her in as soon as she had a quick pat down.

"Hi, Michael," Brianna called as cheerily as she could as she walked through the open door Cole held for her.

"Hi," he replied sullenly. He was sitting in his room staring at the window as he had this morning.

Brianna walked into the bedroom. "I've gotta give you this." She grimaced as he turned toward her.

"So, now you're helping them?"

"Only because I want to make sure you're okay," she explained quietly. "And I have duties and obligations to fulfill." Her voice shook and grew quieter as she spoke longer.

"Uh huh. I'm sure you have your duties and obligations," Michael shot back sarcastically. In an instant, he was standing in front of her with his arm held out mockingly. He glared down at Brianna.

"You think I want to give you this?" she asked with a return glare.

"You don't have to. You don't have to help them, Brianna," he purred as his mind began to probe her's. He nudged her to give him the syringe. She began to give in and then her eyes flashed as she realized he was doing. Goa'uld-Brianna immediately created a shield around her host mind to protect herself from his mind games.

"Quit using me. That's all you're doing right now. Using the relationship we've developed against me," she snarled at him in her deeper, unnatural Goa'uld voice.

"Because you aren't using me?"

"How would I be using you?" she answered his question with her own question.

"You're siding with _them_. You're helping _them_," he snarled right back.

"I am not _helping_ them. I'm trying to protect you, you moron. I don't want them to do this to you, but I don't want anyone else near you. I'm afraid of what they'll do. Obviously, nothing is too much for them right now," Brianna replied threateningly still maintaining her other voice.

"Then don't give it to me. Allow me to regain my former self." He immediately softened, and Michael looked into her eyes and pleaded with her.

"I can't betray them, though. They're my friends – family." Brianna looked down at her feet. She hated situations in which she could not do right no matter what she did.

"But Brianna…"

"Michael, I can't. I swore an allegiance to them, and as much as I … care about you, I can't betray them. I wish I could have it both ways, but I can't." Her voice quieted as she spoke so by the time she finished, it was barely above a whisper.

"I know. And it is wrong of me to ask that of you. Perhaps it would be better if we cut things off now. That way you will not feel guilty about helping them and you will not have to worry about me." Michael looked softly into her eyes. The way he looked at her reminded her of the same guy she had met only days earlier. They were one and the same; this one simply knew more than he had a few days ago.

"Go ahead and do it. You don't have a choice," he whispered and held his arm out to her. She held the syringe in her hand, and with one last glance at Michael, she looked down at the crook of his elbow. She swiftly cleaned the spot with an alcohol swab. Brianna then deftly stuck him with the syringe and injected the stabilizing agent for the retrovirus into his bloodstream. She pulled it out and set the syringe on the bed with the used alcohol swab.

She met Michael's gaze once more, and he took a hold of her chin in his hands and looked at her even more deeply. Brianna felt a gentle brush against the mental shield she had created. She dropped it and allowed Michael in. He comforted her and recreated the safe feeling he had created earlier. She welcomed it gratefully. Michael pulled her closer and kissed her very gently before wrapping her into a close embrace.

After a moment, he pulled away. "Good bye, Brianna."

"But Michael…"

"It is for the best," he swiftly pecked her forehead before pulling completely away, both physically and telepathically. He strode over the window and resumed his previous brooding as though she had never come to see him.

Brianna closed her eyes to the scene, wishing she could forget this. A small tear snuck between her eyelids and down her cheek. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Brianna quickly gathered up the supplies she had brought with her and left.

She left one thing behind her, though. And the Wraith she left in that room would forever have a hold of it.

* * *

I'm sure you all were thinking I was never gonna work on this again. I was beginning to wonder myself. But here is the next chapter. I'm not done yet, but I've finally got an idea where I want to take this. : ) I hope you all enjoyed it – please review! It is hugely encouraging, and it helps to know someone appreciates this story. Loves!


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